


how good it feels to be needed

by unrealistically



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, abused!baek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-22 18:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17667914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unrealistically/pseuds/unrealistically
Summary: Byun Baekhyun is the current victim of an abusive relationship. However, blinded by the idea of being in love, he fails to see the issue.Can his new coworker Park Chanyeol help him see his true worth?





	1. a hopeless romantic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun, a perky and bright teenager, will suddenly feel like the universe is out to get him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has a weird structure. It's a prologue-like chapter, but it's in the format of diary entries. It's not literally diary entries, though. This chapter is setting up the actual story that will officially be starting in the next chapter, with the introduction of other main character Park Chanyeol, as well as going into further depth on the character development (or undevelopment, if you will) of Byun Baekhyun.
> 
> This chapter lays out a lot of information pre-story, it goes into detail on Baekhyun's life before present day in the story. It introduces a lot of characters, some we won't ever see again unfortunately.
> 
> I can assure you that the later chapter will not be laid out like this, if it's driving you to not read further.
> 
> also I know that it's a weird story so far, I get it. However, with the introduction of Park Chanyeol in the next chapter, it'll flow 10x better (hopefully)

Baekhyun was one of those hopeless romantics.

One of those hopeless romantics who fueled their interest in love and romance through books, movies, and TV shows. The ones who often shied away from social interaction, limiting any chance of a relationship that would ultimately make them happy.

Baekhyun knew that he was self-sabotaging himself by doing this, but he didn't mind. The cliché romance novels waiting for him at home were good enough for his satisfaction.

That must be why it was so easy for Changmin to sweep him off of his feet.

Sometimes the friendliest faces hide the darkest secrets.

* * *

 

 

**june 29th, 2015 - getting to know baekhyun**

_What are you saying?" The man said, feeling his heartbreak at the sudden news. His counterpart rounded the table towards him, placing her hands on either side of his head, focus fully placed on him._

_"I'm so sorry," The woman whispered, eyes closed, gating the tears that threatened to spill. "I accepted the job opportunity."_

Baekhyun gasped loudly, mouth agape.

"How could you.." Baekhyun murmured as he reached to the table on the side of the couch to grab a hold of his ramen. He slurped the noddles loudly as he stared at the TV screen intently, fully tuned in to the movie.

_"What about us?" The man replied sharply, removing himself from her hold. "Did you even think about our relationship, how you moving across the globe for just a job could-"_

_"This is not 'just a job'!" She responded, offended that he would carelessly dismiss her accomplishments so easily. "You and I both know that I've been trying to become a singer for so long, and I have the potential. I know I do. That's how we met! You commented on how beautiful my voice was that night in the bar. You can't deny that."_

_"Don't turn this on me," He retorted. " We've been together for months, and you suddenly want to abandon me? In Gwangcheon of all places? What am I to do without you?"_

_Her back was turned to him as she put her head in her hands, not wanting to show her tears._

_"It was never my intention to 'abandon' you, and that is not what I am doing," her voice strained as she spoke. "I've told you and told you to come with-"_

_"You know that isn't possible, I've put my entire life savings into my business. My family's all here, my work is here. I can't just give it all up."_

Before Baekhyun could see how the woman could respond, he was met with a black screen. He gasped again, turning towards his mother who stood in the kitchen. He glared as he saw her, remote in hand, and pointing directly at the television.

"Hey!" He whined as he stood up, placing a hand on his hip. "I was watching that. I need to see what happens!"

His mother placed her own hand on her hip, mimicking his movement with a smirk on her face.

"I'll let you finish the romcom after you wash the dishes. You know, like you said you would many hours ago?" She said simply. Baekhyun rolled his eyes as he rounded the kitchen island and moved towards the sink, reaching underneath and finding himself two rubber gloves.

"It is not a rom-com," he responded, ignoring the fact that he had completely avoided doing his chores in favor of a romantic movie. "There isn't anything comical about a love interest moving to a different country for something as small as a desired job. It's heartbreaking to think about." He heard his mother chuckle as she moved towards the living room, picking up his bowl of ramen broth that he had forgotten to gather. She placed it beside him and sat on a nearby stool.

"Well we know she didn't do it for the money," she started to say, finger on her chin as she analyzed. Baekhyun hummed in agreement. "Maybe singing was a career that she really wanted to pursue in."

"I get that," Baekhyun said, occupied by a tough stain on the plate he was trying to clean. "But you'd think that their love for each other would make her think otherwise. Like, if I were in her shoes, I wouldn't hesitate to say no to the job."

He placed the finally-cleaned plate into a drying rack before moving on to the next.

"Well, the man was given an opportunity to go with her," the mom questioned. "If he loved her, wouldn't he follow her?" Baekhyun rolled his eyes, placing a bowl into the cabinet above him.

"He had a lot more at stake," he responded simply. "His whole family lived there, and he had his own business. Would you have the courage to risk as much as that?"

After a minute of not hearing his mother try and debate with him any longer, he smirked, knowing he had won.

"Anyway.." his mother spoke, changing the subject. "I hope you didn't forget that we open the cafe earlier now."

Baekhyun clicked his tongue.

"Remind me again why we open at seven in the morning now?" He asked, slight annoyance in his voice.

"Better for business." His mother replied simply. "No cafes within the entire city open us early as us.. plus, you get more work hours! Don't you enjoy it?"

"Is there anything less enjoyable than taking orders, and preparing and serving food?" He remarked playfully, roughly scrubbing at a knife's stain that didn't seem to budge.

"Hey, take it easy with that.." his mother commented, her low voice filled with concern. "Don't cut yourself in return of a clean knife."

"Sorry," Baekhyun said quickly, mentally facepalming in disappointment. His mother shrugged.

"You have good focus, but you get carried away at times." She commented, lightly pulling at his ear in amusement. He made a sound of protest.

"Hey! Good focus is good," he protested again, back still turned to her as he applied more soap to the worn-out sponge.

"Good focus is good," his mother added. "However, you tend to focus on one thing and become unaware of everything else. Like that one time we were watching that superhero movie, you could not keep your eyes off Superman-"

"Ahh, mama!" He groaned, face turning red. His mother laughed loudly while Baekhyun's head hung low, in partial shame. He bit his lip as he continued to scrub at the dish in his hand.

His mother went off to bed, not before letting her son know he should definitely get a good amount of hours of sleep, strictly telling him that it's bad for business if he looked like a corpse fresh out of its grave.

 

 

Ms. Byun knew that her son was a very timid person. Talking to strangers, his voice would suddenly imitate one of a mouse. Very quiet. When Baekhyun first started working in the cafe, she watched him carefully, taking note of both his features and posture every time he served customers. This was mainly because she wanted to assess his performance, making sure that he was as chirpy and bright as a waiter possibly could be. However, she discovered that.. around men specifically, her son would find it hard to speak at all. He would visibly tense up, and stutter his words. Not to mention the unnoticeable blushing red that crept upon his neck and face. The effects of this were heightened if the customer happened to be both a male and attractive.

They'd have discussions about why this is, however, Baekhyun countered his mother's persistent curiosity with his simple go-to phrase: "I'm just shy, mama."

His mother loved him with all her heart, and she found that their bond grew stronger as she gathered hints here and there regarding his attractions.

He would often make unconscious comments about the men who starred in the movies he watched.

"So burly." He would whisper.

She asked him about what the significance of that comment was, and he simply shrugged, saying it was just an observation. His face looked flushed as his mother grinned at him. She could tell that he observed the actors a lot more than the actresses. Baekhyun would comment on the actor's muscles, chiseled facial features and broad shoulders, more than anything else.

"How handsome, I wish I was as handsome." He would also say.

She would often reassure him that he was just as handsome, if not more. He brushed her off with a simple wave of a hand, but she knew her son appreciated it.

"Compared to them, my personality is boring." He would then comment.

His mother rolled her eyes all the time at this comment. She hated when her son compared himself to movie stars, it never made sense to her.

"Well, they're given a script in which they have to act," his mother brought up. "Their personalities are artificial, not natural."

"Yours, however," she continued as she tapped him on the front of his nose. He wrinkled it, pushing her finger away. "Is an intriguing mystery."

"Ahh, but who likes mysteries?" He muttered to himself, fighting the urge to pout.

It was one night, out of the blue, Baekhyun had asked her something. They had just watched a movie together that starred two leads, both male. Both in love. Baekhyun's mother could tell he acted towards the new movie a bit differently than the rest. He had higher dramatized reactions to the scenes in the movie. When the two actors kissed, Baekhyun would blush, eyes clouded like he was deep in thought. When the two actors fought and were faced with problems, Baekhyun would yell back at the characters, as if he were in the movie himself.

An odd silence took place after the movie ended before Baekhyun felt the need to break it.

"How would you react if I said that I.," he said, pausing. His mother looked up from the newspaper and towards her son. He was staring into space, looking at nothing but the clock on the wall that ticked endlessly. The silence was piercing, with only the ticking of the clock accompanying it.

"That you..." she added, wanting him to continue. He slowly moved his gaze from the clock towards her.

"That I preferred men over women? Like those two in the movie?" He asked quietly. His eyes were pained, conflicted.

To Baekhyun's surprise, his mother's face didn't shift into a look of anger, surprise, disgust, or anything of the sort. It was neutral.

"I wouldn't react at all," she said, moving from her chair towards his spot on the couch. She sat beside him. "Because I would still love you the same, and still think of you the same."

Baekhyun burst into tears that night. His mother instantly, wrapped her arms around him, being the protective guardian she was. She kissed the top of his head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her shoulder.

"Please don't be," she murmured back, rubbing circles on his back. "You have no reason to be."

 

 

**june 30th, 2015 - meeting changmin**

Baekhyun groaned, being abruptly pulled from his peaceful dreaming. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, it being the source of the loud ringing. On his screen read 4:30 AM. He groaned again.

Before he could hit the snooze button and lie back down onto the comfort of his bed, his mother barged into the room.

"Sorry you have to wake up so early," his mother chirped brightly, sounding not-at-all apologetic. "Since we're the only cafe in this area that opens so early in the morning, we have to make sure we're up and alert."

Baekhyun looked out his window, seeing the dark outside as if it were still night time.

"I had my hopes up that after the school year ended, I didn't have to be woken up so early," he claimed as he rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes.

His mother only grinned in response. She left his door open as she exited, and not a minute later, Baekhyun jumped in sudden surprise as he heard the loud sound of his phone ringing, indicating that it was definitely time to get up. Baekhyun only groaned a third time, finally pressing the 'dismiss alarm' button.

 

 

"The apron I'm okay with, but doesn't the bow tie seem a bit excessive?" Was all Baekhyun had to ask when he examined himself in the employer break room mirror. His mother grinned, as she rolled up the sleeves of his white button-up, completing his new look.

"I know the bow tie seems a bit much, but it makes you look so cute!" his mother responded excitedly. She finished rolling up the sleeves and looked at his reflection in the mirror again. "Look at my handsome boy."

Baekhyun's face scrunched up in disagreement. He pushed a hand through his hair, pushing it back so that it didn't look so disheveled. Adjusting his glasses so that it sit perfectly on the high bridge of his nose, he sighed.

"I look like a dork." He protested. "Why must I wear glasses when eye contacts exist?"

"Why must you ask so many questions?" His mother responded, tapping him on the nose once again, an action that Baekhyun was forced to get used to.

He traveled across the cafe and started to wipe down the tables nearing the window. Looking out the windows, he took note of the vast darkness. Many buildings without their blinding lights, and vacant sidewalks and roads. It was almost unsettling to Baekhyun seeing how peaceful the streets were, when usually the streets of Seoul were packed with many people, especially during the evening.

He moved towards the front desk to set up the cash register.

"Who's working with us during the morning anyway?" Baekhyun asked in a raised voice, hoping his mother could hear him from the backroom.

Last time Baekhyun had been in the cafe, he knew of who worked there. Firstly was Park Soo-young, who he was instantly able to warm up to. Her bright smile and kindness didn't go unnoticed by anybody. His mother hired her two years ago, and she still worked at the cafe. She was a university student, however, and Ms. Byun knew that her time in the cafe was likely coming to an end. Sooyoung had dropped hints many times before that she was in her last year of study, and that she was going to move away with her grandmother directly after she obtained her bachelor's degree.

Second was Kim Hee-chul. 'He's a funny character', Ms. Byun would say too often, and Baekhyun never disagreed. Official role of the cafe, Heechul was the chef. Unofficial role of the cafe, he was the jokester and made the environment a fun place to be. He looked younger than his age of 35, yet he was the only male that Baekhyun found himself able to talk to without acting nervous. Heechul was hired only a few months ago but has proven his worth in his performance, which Ms. Byun was grateful for.

Last but not least was Park Chaeyoung. If anyone could combat the kindness that Sooyoung had radiated, it would be Chaeyoung. They were both in their element during work hours, their smiles never fading during service, even when they had to deal with not-so-nice customers. They were role models in Baekhyun's eyes, and he hopes that he'll adapt to their openness and graciousness sooner rather than later, especially since he had just recently been put on waiter duty, where the skills would be necessary.

Chaeyoung was more around Baekhyun's age than Sooyoung, which is why he talked to her more often. While Baekhyun was fresh out of high school, Chaeyoung had already graduated, a reason for Chaeyoung to tease him. They talked the most on break when service wasn't so busy. Both of them being high consumers of both movies and TV shows, they were able to express their interests quite easily. It was easy to identify for Chaeyoung that Baekhyun was into romance. Compared to her interest in the horror genre of things, they rarely recommended movies to each other.

"Just Heechul for the morning shifts, Sooyoung watches over her grandmother in the morning and Chaeyoung just hasn't grown accustomed to waking up early enough yet." Baekhyun narrowed his eyes.

"I haven't grown accustomed to waking up early either, you know," he said.

"We also have a new employee coming in too," Ms. Byun continued, ignoring her son's remark. "He's available during the morning and early afternoon, so it'll be perfect for our schedule."

Baekhyun felt his posture straighten and his eyebrows raise in surprise.

"Ahh, who is it-he?" He said, fighting back his stammer. Ms. Byun made her way to the curtain and poked her head out.

"His name's Shim Changmin. In his early to mid-'20s maybe? I believe he worked at the restaurant down the street." She said, unsure of the accuracy in her own words, before retreating back into the kitchen. Baekhyun heard the sink turn on as Ms. Byun started to rinse a few cups that had been stacked in the dish pile. "He seems very sweet, though. Devilishly handsome, too. And a real charmer!"

_Ahh, why!_

"Dang.." Baekhyun murmured, already feeling heat creep up on the back of his neck. Focus fully attended on the cash register in front of him, he planned on how he would introduce himself. He didn't want to give a bad first impression. He'd be working with this mystery 'Changmin' during the morning shifts, likely all summer long.

_Should I smile 100% of the time? Maybe I should make a joke.. damn, where's Heechul when I need him? Okay, forget the joke idea. First: name. Then, "how are you?" but wait maybe that should be said before I introduce myself-_

_Ugh, stop overthinking things, Baek!_

Too suddenly, the bell chime on the entrance door interrupted him from any further thoughts. Slowly, he lifted his head towards the source of the noise.

_Is this..?_

"I'm not late am I?" The tall man asked. Baekhyun could practically feel himself melt under the man's voice alone, noting how deep it was. The man inched himself closer to the front desk where Baekhyun had been standing.

The first thing that Baekhyun noticed, much like he did when he first encountered any man, was their body. The 6 foot something man had a really strong physique. The man wore a simple button up pinstripe shirt, but the shirt didn't do a good job in concealing the man's muscles that were bulging in the shirt's thin material.

Baekhyun had to blink multiple times to get himself out of his trance.

"No, no! Not at all." He said. "You're.. Shim Changmin, right?" The taller nodded his head, grinning in response, and extended his hand.

"It's nice to meet you Baekhyun," the deep voice responded. Baekhyun tilted his head as he took the firm hand, shaking it. He prayed to God that his hands weren't sweating from his nervousness.

"You know my name?" He asked, surprised. Changmin chuckled as he simply pointed to the name tag that resided over Baekhyun's chest.

"Oh.. right, duh," he facepalmed, earning a louder chuckle from the man in front of him. Baekhyun felt himself getting hot. Face turning red, he gave a small wave to the new employee and rushed to the curtains behind him. "Mama, Changmin's here!"

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Baekhyun could have sworn he heard the man mutter cute as he was retreating to the back room.

He'd only met this man ten seconds ago, yet Baekhyun was already starting to think of him in a more-than-friendly way.

Perks of being a hopeless romantic, one would conclude.

 

 

It was foolish for Baekhyun to retreat into the back room because not even a minute later, Changmin entered. Baekhyun's back was turned to him, as he was washing his hands, who was taking his time to scrub between his fingers and around his nails.. common cafe worker courtesy.

"You were quick to leave me," Changmin stated, still maintaining a grin. He was met with a gasp of shock from Baekhyun as he turned to see him, only after immediately turning off the water. "Didn't mean to scare you or anything, if that was the reason."

"Oh, no that's not it!" Baekhyun said with a voice a thousand times higher than it was usually. He bit his lip, not sure how to respond. "I just forgot to wash my hands, that's all."

He raised his still-wet hands up in an attempt to cover his awkwardness. Finally realizing that his hands had not been dried, he looked around the room for a rag he could use. Changmin, putting two and two together, grabbed a towelette that was hanging up on a rack, and reached his hand out, offering it to the frantic teen. Baekhyun bowed in thanks and took it gingerly.

"Never met someone so eager to wash their hands.." Changmin muttered playfully, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed. He had the same grin plastered on his face, and Baekhyun again found himself nearly melting.

Before Baekhyun could choose something to say, smart or dumb, a loud voice made its way into the cafe.

"ATTENTION! YOUR FAVORITE EMPLOYEE HAS ENTERED THE BUILDING!"

Baekhyun would laugh at Heechul's foolish shouting if he weren't in the same room with handsome Changmin. The new employee raised a brow, pointing to the curtains, mouthing 'who is that?'

Before he could respond however..

"Shush you brat! It's six in the morning!" He heard his mother scold from outside the curtains. Changmin's face of confusion softened as he realized who it was. He made his way out of the backroom, and Baekhyun let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. He quickly followed behind and made his way out of the curtains and into the cafe.

The two male employees got along well, much to Baekhyun's surprise.

 

 

**july 1st, 2015 - first week on the job**

Only a couple days into the new job and Changmin seemed to flow perfectly among them. He was quick working at the front, mastering the cash register, the order system, and the coffee machine behind him. It amazed Baekhyun, and it made him wonder if he had worked at a cafe before.

_Of course he has, just look at his skill!_

The system they had established was quite simple. Baekhyun would take orders from the customers, and run them to Changmin, who would pass it back to Heechul in the kitchen. His mother would be busy baking the sweet pastries and grinding coffee beans in the back, while also maintaining the sanitation of their tools.

Occasionally, when Baekhyun would give Changmin the note containing the order of a table, he would thank him and wink.

Baekhyun's never been redder before.

 

 

**july 5th, 2015 - thinking about him**

That night, Baekhyun and his mother decided to watch a movie, Classic Tales of Love.

"Hey, he kinda looks like Changmin, don't you think?" His mother asked him, pointing directly at the screen referring to the male lead.

He squinted his eyes, in an attempts to further assess the man on the screen. The similarities couldn't be any more true. The actor had a similar face structure to Changmin. A sharp jawline much like their new coworker's, eyes that were easily squinted when a smile took place, and cheekbones that were somewhat faint. Similarly, the bodies of the two were identical as well. The actor was well-built, bulkiness heavy on his arms. He also had broad shoulders, and a pack of abs that any man would die for, traits that were heavily reminiscent of Changmin himself.

Well.. Baekhyun's never seen Changmin's abs before.

Baekhyun felt himself getting hotter, although he wasn't sure why.

"Yeah, he actually does.." He whispered.

It was hard for him to concentrate on what was happening for the rest of the movie.

 

**july 10th, 2015 - a day with chaeyoung**

Being a Friday night, Baekhyun finally had both the time and the energy to hang out with Chaeyoung.

He got off the bus and already spotted her. She wore a white crop top and blue skinnies. Her bright blonde hair was highly noticeable in the Seoul darkness, and Baekhyun could tell just from his position many feet away that she had done her makeup perfectly, like always. Baekhyun always felt jealous of the cuteness she radiated, even when she wasn't putting up a facade for the sake of the cafe. Self consciously, he glanced down at his own outfit: a black knit sweater he had retrieved from his laundry bin and light blue jeans to combat the dark color.

Feeling slightly disappointed in himself, he trudged onwards.

Chaeyoung waved at him, beaming widely.

"So, how's working with the hottie?" Was the first question he was hit with as soon as he met his friend at the front of the arcade.

"Don't start." He said directly, pointing a finger in front of her face. "Let's hurry inside, I'm getting cold."

She rolled her eyes, grinning, and grabbed his hand. She pulled him into the arcade towards the first arcade box they managed to find open.

Before he could assess the different machines there had been, his eyes traveled over a group of people playing with a deck of cards at a table in the corner of the arcade. This wasn't unusual. Many people, especially teenagers, found arcade centers to be their safe haven. A place that could make them feel like kids. No responsibilities to worry about, the only objective would be to have as much fun as possible. It was always so packed, on Fridays especially. If Baekhyun were as much of a social butterfly as his work friend Chaeyoung, he would probably be able to identify at least a dozen faces in the large crowds.

However, much to his own surprise, he did recognize a face. His imagination may have been playing with him again as he saw familiarity in the face in the very corner, resembling a sharp jawline and deeply shaded eyes.

Changmin?

It was hard to see, with the lights being dimmed, the main light source being the sharp colors of the machines.

Before he could get a better look, Baekhyun was pulled out of sight by his friend, and his focus was lost as the vibrant colored gaming machines distracted him. He looked behind him one last time, searching for the familiar face. However, he didn't see it again.

 

 

"You have a little something..." Baekhyun said quietly, motioning towards his friend's mouth. Chaeyoung set her pizza down and swiped a finger across the corner of her mouth, getting rid of the marinara sauce that had been stuck there.

"Thank you, Baek," she chirped, wiping the sauce on a napkin nearby. Baekhyun only smiled in response.

After the arcade, they decided to hit their usual spot for dinner a few blocks down the road. Unlike the arcade, the little pizzeria was a hidden gem. It was a small business stored away between two other mini-shops nobody really knew about. The plaza overall never got enough attention, the majority of the plaza being made up of a grocery store. That's what it was known for.

They usually ate on the curb just outside of the pizzeria. However, seeing as it was nearing ten o'clock at night, they didn't want to experience the harsh cold waiting for them behind the closed doors.

"So, what's new with you?" Chaeyoung asked before taking another bite of her pizza.

Baekhyun always hated this question. She asked him the same question every time they were out together. More often than not, there would be little variety in the things that he would (or would not) disclose her in. Truth be told, his life was usually very boring. Cuddling in the comfort of his own bundle of blankets, he would usually find himself reading another romantic novel he'd picked up from his weekly run to the library. If it wasn't a book though, it would usually be something on television. Romance-related, of course.

"Nothing that much, really.." He said, murmuring the last word before taking a bite of his pizza, an action prompted by his disappointment.

"Ahh, but you said the same exact thing one week prior!" His friend exclaimed from the seat across from him. Baekhyun widened his eyes and quickly peered around him to make sure nobody was joining in on their conversation, noting how loud Chaeyoung could be. His expression softened, seeing nobody in the pizzeria at all. Baekhyun concluded that the cashier was likely in the backroom along with the chef.

"C'mon," she continued, wiping her hands on a few napkins. "I need juicy details about that Changmin your mom hired. How long has he been working with you guys so far? One, two weeks?

"Just a little over a week," Baekhyun responded, taking another bite of his pizza, suddenly finding his face changing color at the sudden subject change to his coworker. "What about him, anyway? He's just a coworker."

"Don't play him off like he's a Hee-chul." Chaeyoung said playfully, taking her usual jab at the middle-aged chef. "He's hot, he's nice, he's charming, he's your type! You even told me he winks at you all the time!"

Baekhyun groaned, remembering the fact that he tended to over-share information.

"It's not 'all the time', it's just.. every time I give him a customer's order." His response made Chaeyoung scoff. Come to think of it.. it is pretty weird how often he does it.

"Uhh, hello, that's literally all the time. Taking orders and delivering them to Changmin is all you do during work, Baek." She finished the last bite of crust on her tray and set it aside, folding her hands together and staring at her friend across the table. "Why don't you do a little something back, to see how he'll react?"

It was Baekhyun's turn to scoff.

"If you're thinking I'm going to flirt with my coworker then you must be drunk." He solidified, wrinkling his nose at the word 'flirt'. He could not imagine his tiny self flirting with a hot twenty-something-year-old. Only in movies would that visual be applicable.

Chaeyoung put her hands up, a sign of surrender.

 

**july 13th, 2015 - just friends**

The weekend was over and it was back to work for Baekhyun.

He was adjusting his bow tie in the mirror of the back room when he sees Changmin come from behind him, placing his rough hands rather gently on the smaller's shoulders. No words being exchanged between either of them, the large hands moved downwards, traveling down to his neck, where the bow tie was. Baekhyun felt small tugs, as his coworker started to pull on it, making it a tighter fit. Baekhyun felt the need to flinch as their skin came in contact as if he had been burned. Baekhyun tried his hardest to maintain his cool, concluding that this is what male friends do. They help each other.

They are friends, right?

Baekhyun, not sure what to do with his own hands, let them drop to his sides.

"Saw you at the corner arcade on Friday," Changmin said to the teen, still adjusting the lace of the bow tie from behind him. "With a girl?"

"Y-Yeah, I go there sometimes with my friend Chaeyoung. She works here actually! She just works evening shifts, though."

"So.. she's just a friend, then?" The deep voice asked, hands resting on the smaller teen's shoulders once again. Baekhyun bit his lip in confusion.

"Of course.." He responded, not knowing what else to respond with. He found the courage to look in the mirror at Changmin, and saw an expression he found hard to identify. Like a mix of gloominess.. and anger?

Changmin opened his mouth like he was about to say something else. However, he closed his mouth as quickly as he opened it.

Suddenly remembering Chaeyoung's words of wisdom, Baekhyun tried being bold.

"You're not jealous are you?" The smaller one asked, unintentionally quiet upon delivery. He tried being sarcastic slash humorous about the way he asked the question, but he had done so in a shaky voice. The teen was nervous, and it showed.

Baekhyun was only met with a couple pats on his shoulder. Smirking, Changmin then descended into the curtains and towards the register, his usual spot in the cafe. Baekhyun just stood there, trying to assess why he would ask him a question like that. _Damn you, Chaeyoung!_

They barely exchanged words during work that day.

Baekhyun wondered how bad the aftermath was going to be later.

 

 

He decided to get advice from his friend after his shift.

 

 _**< <From: Chaeyoung>** _  
_**1:19 PM** _  
_ha, you and i? as if!_

 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes before texting her back again.

 

 **_< From: Baekhyun>>_ **  
**_1:20 PM_ **  
_that is not the point. i thought he seemed jealous, cause he asked if you were 'just a friend' and I said_

_yeah.. urrgh I really hope that the question wasn't too weird and awkward. PLUS, HAVE WE FORGOTTEN HE'S LIKE 25?_

_WHY DID I EVEN THINK OF SHOOTING MY SHOT!?_

**_< <From: Chaeyoung>_ **  
**_1:20 PM_ **  
_ok you're overreacting for sure. first of all, thank me for giving you the push._

_secondly, you did not "shoot your shot", not by a mile babe._

_did he wink at you at all today?_

**_< From: Baekhyun>>_ **  
**_1:21PM_ **

_....no. (O.O)_

**_< <From: Chaeyoung>_ **  
**_1:21PM_ **

_uh oh_

_..._

_..._

_just kidding. it's fine!!! just make sure to try warming up to him again, he probably_

_thinks you're scared of him or something. let him know that you want to at least_

_be his friend._

**_< From: Baekhyun>>_ **  
**_1:23PM_ **

_nuuu why did you even make me be bold in the first_

_place! if i hadn't been weird, we would still be on good terms_

**_< <From: Chaeyoung>_ **  
**_1:23PM_ **

_quit being a baby, you don't even know if the both of you aren't on good_

_terms, like, it's not like he hates you LOL_

_anyway, gotta go for now. love you Baek! (but not in that way hehe ^.^)_

_also.. what was he even doing at the arcade anyway?_

 

Baekhyun too, wondered what Changmin was doing there as well. It was unusual for a person in their mid-twenties to be hanging out at a pre-mature place like an arcade. Lost in thought, Baekhyun didn't respond to her message.

 

 

**july 14th - a surprise visit**

The next day, Park Sooyoung made a surprise appearance in the cafe before the shift started.

It was a surprise in that Baekhyun hadn't been able to interact with her for the past two weeks, seeing as his shift had changed from evening to morning. He hadn't seen her during working hours at all, and quite frankly, he missed her sunshine-y smile.

"Hello!" Baekhyun heard an airy voice say. He peered out of the curtain, looking towards the source of the sound. Changmin was likely in the men's room, as Baekhyun hadn't seen him around, but knew he was already there, ready to start working. Baekhyun looked towards the front door to see Park Sooyoung, and he instantly felt weak at his knees seeing her smile brightly at him.

"BAEKIE!" She nearly screeched, rushing over to him and locking him in a bone crushing hug. He appreciated the reunion they were having, so the pain that was prominent in his ribs and back had not been noticed by him. It was noticeable to his coworker though.

"Woah, looks like you're about to kill the little guy."

The both of them were surprised at the new voice, and they turned to Changmin, who had just arrived from the bathroom a few feet behind him. Sooyoung smiled at him.

"You're Changmin!" She concluded. Not sure how to greet the man, she extended her hand, in which Changmin took gracefully. He brought the hand to his lips and kissed softly. An action Baekhyun wished he hadn't seen. Park Sooyoung looked like she was about to faint, sighing lightly. He felt the need to retreat to the back room, but not before seeing a glint in Changmin's eyes, like they were saying something.

_Jealous?_

He spent the rest of his shift handing Changmin orders with his head lowered, trying his hardest to avoid the older man's gaze.

 

 

After the shift, Baekhyun made sure to kiss his mother goodbye before he headed off to the bus. He felt bad, knowing she worked at the cafe nearly all day, but every time he brought it up, she dismissed his words. She said she loved the atmosphere of the cafe, and that she didn't want to leave so early. She also made sure to include that she didn't feel lonely there, as Hee-chul was also one to provide her with his usual warmth through his bad jokes.

Before Baekhyun left though, his mother brought something up.

"So I was thinking of letting Changmin drive you home every day."

Baekhyun's mind went blank at that. If Baekhyun had been drinking something at the time, it would have spewed everywhere.

"Huh- what, uh?" He asked, head tilting to the side in confusion.

"Yeah! I brought up the fact that you walk home from every day and Changmin was so kind as to express his concerns for your safety, and frankly, I agree!"

He scratched the back of his neck, as he felt it heat up quickly.

"But mom, I'm almost 18, why can't I have the right to walk-" Before Baekhyun could finish his sentence, he felt an arm sling itself around him, and taking one look at the muscles, he could tell who it was.

"It's not about being old enough to do things, Baekie," Changmin's deep voice soothed. Baekhyun fidgeted his toes, hearing the older man's voice being directly spoken into his ear. "We don't want something bad to happen to you.."

His mother nodded in agreement, smiling at the older man, feeling grateful that he agreed to carpool.

"Our apartment is near his own, we both agree that it's very convenient and saves you a lot of trouble, you oughta be grateful, young man!" She claimed, pointing her finger at her son. Changmin only nodded in agreement, watching her son melt under his arm. Observing him carefully, Changmin could see just how nervous the boy was. It made Changmin feel in control.

They soon left the cafe, walking towards Changmin's car. Before Baekhyun could make his way to the passenger door, to his surprise, Changmin rushed forward to open the door for him. Not sure how to respond, Baekhyun bowed in thanks and quickly got in. Making sure his foot was in all the way, Changmin shut the door, smirking to himself as he walked over to the drivers side.

Baekhyun strapped himself in, not knowing what else to do. Changmin entered the drivers side door shortly afterward, and soon they were off.

An awkward silence had entered, the only sound accompanying them is the sound of the radio, which was playing a song expressed through a piano. It was fitting. The beautiful of a soft hymn through a piano being played in a space of complete utter silence. Baekhyun tugged at his sweater sleeve, not sure what to do.

Suddenly, the silence had been broken.

"I feel like I shouldn't have to ask you this," Changmin started, glancing at the smaller male beside him before looking back at the road. "But you aren't scared of me are you? You always look nervous when around me, maybe it's something I can work on to make you feel more comfortable?"

Mouth agape, Baekhyun found it hard to regain his cool.

"I'm not scared of you, sorry if that's what it seemed like.." He trailed off. "I'm just shy, that's all."

Changmin hummed in response.

"Well just letting you know now that you don't have to be shy around me." He claimed, eyes still focused on the road. His expression was a lot softer compared to before, which put Baekhyun at slight ease.

"O-okay." Baekhyun stammered, refusing to meet his eye. He looked towards the road himself and noted of the familiarity of the street. "Take a left here, please."

They bid a farewell after they arrived at Baekhyun's apartment complex, and Baekhyun was quick to set off, climbing the stairs quickly while fishing his house key out of the back of his jean pocket.

Needless to say, the conversation did not make Baekhyun any less shy around him. However, Baekhyun was still grateful that the older male didn't seem to have any animosity towards him.

 

 

**july 31st, 2015 - happy birthday.**

Baekhyun's 18th birthday.

The cafe crew decided to throw him a little celebration shindig. Without letting him know of course because.. where's the fun in birthdays not being a surprise?

After work, Baekhyun had the afternoon all to himself. He immediately went to his phone, texting Chaeyoung to see if she was free so they could hang out.

 

 **_< <From: Chaeyoung>_ **  
**_12:02 PM_ **  
_sorry baekie, i have to babysit the WHOLE afternoon, can you believe?_

_we will definitely hang out though! make sure you're free after my_

_evening shift at the cafe._

 

Feeling defeated, he messaged back a quick message, assuring her that it was okay, and that he would definitely not be late, seeing as he had nothing to do prior. His eyes darted aimlessly around the cafe, unsure of what to do. His eyes landed on Changmin, who had just been putting on his coat. Baekhyun timidly walked up to him, tapping him on the shoulder. The tall male turned rather quickly, looking down at him.

"Thank you for the gift," Baekhyun said, holding up a gift bag, which inside held stacks upon stacks of romance-themed media. Baekhyun was just as red as the heart-embroidered bag itself, concluding that his mother must have let Changmin know what he usually did during his free time.

Changmin grinned.

"Can't say that I'm surprised, you being into romance."

Baekhyun couldn't combat the blush that he felt coming on.

"Uwa, what are you saying?" Baekhyun said, not knowing how to respond to the teasing. Changmin only laughed in response, making Baekhyun turn an even darker shade of red.

_Blushing this much cannot be healthy._

 

 

"Goodbye, Baekie! Have a fun birthday!" Changmin said as his counterpart opened the car door. Baekhyun only waved in response and went up the usual stairs leading to his apartment. He found himself struggling with fetching the key, as he had arms full of gift bags on his sleeves, but he dropped some on the floor to get the key, and proceeded to unlock the door.

He went straight to his room, plopped down on his bed, and stared at nothing but the ceiling above him.

Curious, he carefully poured all the contents in the gift bag from Changmin (the gift he was most surprised about) and rationed them on his bed.

He bit his lip, debating if he should send a picture of the contents to Chaeyoung.

Maybe not..

He quickly placed the romance movies and books into the gift bag and stowed it away under his bed, along with his gift from Hee-chul (a stuffed dog, which Baekhyun found super cute) and his mama, a pair of headphones that he had been looking at all month.

 

 

He'd watched five movies in a row, all while consuming instant ramen. Two of those movies also happened to be romances provided by Changmin. As much as he tried, he could not stop thinking about the older male as he watched the movies. Attempting to get his mind off of the crazy things, he looked towards the wall clock, seeing that it was nearing 10 o'clock. It was nearing Chaeyoung's end of her shift, and Baekhyun assumed that his mom was going to drive her over to the apartment so they could meet up and leave for someplace fun.

He got a message.

 

 **_< <From: Mom>_ **  
**_9:49PM_ **

_hey hon, happy birthday! ~.~_

_anyway, chae said that she wanted you_

_to meet her at the cafe so that you guys_

_could walk all around the Seoul Plaza._

_i'll allow it, but you stay safe!_

 

Before Baekhyun could agree, his mother responded with a follow-up.

 

 **_< <From: Mom>_ **  
**_9:50PM_ **

_my hands are a bit tied at the moment, so_

_I asked Changmin to come pick you up and_

_drop you off at the cafe. He said he was out_

_and about, and could do so with no worries_

 

Baekhyun would be freaking out about the realization that he would be seeing Changmin again, but he looked at his own appearance in the kitchen mirror before rushing to the bathroom to get ready, knowing that he had about 10 or so minutes to do so. Before heading to the bathroom, he dug through the drawers in his room to find something acceptable to wear during his birthday celebration with Chaeyoung. He decided on a collared creme white button-up and black skinny jeans. He quickly changed before heading to the bathroom to wash his face and apply a bit of makeup.

While applying a bit of foundation under his eyes to cover his noticeable bags, his phone dinged. Curious, he peered over the counter to the screen of his phone.

 

 **_< <From: Unknown>_ **  
**_9:58PM_ **

_your chariot awaits ~_

 

Knowing exactly who it was despite there being no name, Baekhyun quickly rushed touching up his face and scurried out to the hall and out the door, making sure to lock it in the process.

 

"Oh, don't you look fancy?" A voice asked, and Baekhyun narrowed his eyes at the male waiting in the car.

"You see me in a button-up every day at work?" Baekhyun asked, plopping into the seat beside Changmin. He was met with a grin.

"Yeah, I guess you just look fancy every day, then."

Baekhyun bit his lip as he stared out the window, not knowing how to respond once again.

 

 

Entering the cafe, he was instantly met with bright lights and different variations of shouting happy birthdays. He gasped, complete shock taking over, as he saw all of his coworkers, Park Sooyoung included, surrounding a center table with a large cake on top of it, the candles displayed 18 ablaze. He turned behind him towards Changmin, who only grinned that same grin he always did.

"Surprise."

 

 

Much to Baekhyun's surprise, his mother helped instigate the idea for her son to get drunk.

"Not too much alcohol, but enough to feel something." His mother chanted, the people around her nodding in agreement.

"Knowing Baekhyun he would likely be out with one sip of rum." Heechul declared, smirking at the younger male. "Perhaps some soju?"

Being handed a shot glass with some sort of liquid inside, Baekhyun wasn't sure what to do with it, so he just held it in his hand as Heechul started to fill the cups of his other coworkers in the room. Chaeyoung leaned into Baekhyun's ear.

"How come your mom is so cool?" She asked, pouty. Baekhyun laughed at her.

"I don't think it's a good thing that my mom is allowing and encouraging me to drink." Suddenly, Baekhyun felt an arm wrap around his shoulder. Peering up at the body, it was Changmin, who had been looking at Chaeyoung. He held Baekhyun back, almost protectively.

"I agree with Chaeyoung here, your mom is pretty rad." Chaeyoung nodded back at him, eyebrows raised so high they could reach her hairline. She looked at her friend and gave him a knowing look, a grin nearing it's way to her facial expression. Baekhyun gave her a look that essentially said 'don't do or say anything that will embarrass me', and smiled back up at Changmin. He was trying to work on acting friendlier towards the taller coworker, seeing as he would always react in a shy or held-back manner when around him. He wanted to change that.

"Alright everyone," Baekhyun's mother announced. "Cheers to my only baby boy to being 18." They all raised their shot glasses towards the center, and Baekhyun gave Changmin a questioning look, wondering what to do. Changmin motioned his head towards the center, where the drinks had collided. Baekhyun, oblivious to a lot of things, mouthed out an 'o', and moved his shot glass towards the middle, and heard a satisfying 'clink'.

They all drank their shots and Baekhyun showed a face of distaste, to no one's surprise.

 

 

Baekhyun believed the correct term was 'shitfaced'. Yes, he was completely shitfaced. He had more shots and found himself being a person he never thought to imagine.

Outgoing, talkative, and relaxed.

He found himself giggling at nothing, and laughing until his stomach hurt. Especially at Heechul, even though the jokes were likely not that funny. It made Heechul feel good, like a comedian.

To everyone's surprise, though, Baekhyun had latched himself onto Changmin. Not literally. However, when they were sat at the round table, Baekhyun made himself cozy next to him. His friend Chaeyoung occupied the left side of him while Changmin occupied the right. With them were Sooyoung, Heechul and his mother. His mother only took one shot, the same with Changmin. They declared beforehand that Changmin would be a sober driver that night, along with Ms. Byun.

They decided to share stories about the birthday boy.

Sooyoung talked about when she first started working at the cafe, how helpful Baekhyun had been in showing her the ropes. They all gave a synchronized 'aww' sound. Especially Changmin, who had poked Baekhyun's side in addition, teasing the smaller male beside him. Baekhyun giggled, squirming under the sudden touch.

Chaeyoung observed the two, having their little interactions, and felt.. different than she did the first time hearing of them.

She slowly came to the realization that she had pushed for Baekhyun to be with this mystery Changmin man for so long only because she knew that Baekhyun was such a love sap, yet had no real love to feed off of. He told her about the different romances he'd watch constantly, and she only gained the idea that he needs to find a love. It never occurred to her that maybe, just maybe..

Finding healthy love isn't so easy.

Usually, she'd be all over the two of them getting close. Heck, she was just as drunk as Baekhyun, so she should even be giddy about it. But she wasn't.

Changmin put a bad taste in her mouth. When they first saw each other in person, and as he wrapped his arm around Baekhyun in that protective manner, Chaeyoung felt intimidated. It was like the man was saying..

_Back off._

Chaeyoung looked at the digital clock across the room as it blared the time: 11:35 PM. Chaeyoung had suddenly felt uncomfortable being in the cafe, despite being surrounded by her coworkers/friends. She looked at Baekhyun and Changmin once more and almost jumped out of her own seat as her eyes met with Changmin's. His eyes were dark, and they looked clouded.

**_Back off._ **

She felt defeated. Yet she didn't really fathom why.

 

 

About half an hour later had passed, and the majority of people decided to call it a night, the minority of the people being Baekhyun, who wanted to have more fun.

"Definite lightweight. Although, he is a lot more enjoyable when shitfaced." Heechul observed. Ms. Byun narrowed her eyes at him playfully as she gathered the empty bottles of liquor and stored them in a plastic bag carefully, reminding herself to take it out to the dumpster before she left.

"You only say that because he laughed at literally every one of your jokes," Sooyoung claimed, grabbing her jacket off of the coat rack.

"You wish you were as funny as me," Heechul said before receiving a smack on the shoulder.

"Aw, why is everyone packing up?" A new voice slurred. They all turned towards Baekhyun who had gotten up from his seat from the table, leaning on a nearby counter nearby to support himself. He was still grinning to himself as he looked at his friends. "Is it late already?"

Chaeyoung nodded her head, looking around to see Changmin absent. Must be in the bathroom.

"Guess time flies by when you're having fun, huh?" She joked hollowly, keeping an eye out for Changmin. This earned a wholehearted laugh from Baekhyun.

"See? He laughs at everything when drunk, even the worst of jokes." Sooyoung said to Heechul as she then turned to Chaeyoung. "Sorry."

Chaeyoung brushed her coworker off with a hand wave. She then approached her friend who had been leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone. He looked up at her as she was approaching and beamed at her.

"Chaaeeeyoungggg!" Baekhyun whispered, kissing her cheek, a bold move he had not done once since they had been friends. "I don't know why but I'm so overjoyed right now."

She tilted her head in response.

"Does it have something to do with Changmin, perhaps?" Baekhyun perked up at the sound of his name.

"Why did he say something?" He asked, suddenly alert. Chaeyoung furrowed her brow, surprised at his sudden mood changes.

"No, he didn't. Not to me at least." She started to say. "Anyway, let's call a cab? Perhaps I can even stay the night? We can watch one of your cheesy movies like we usually do."

Baekhyun giggled.

"That sounds like so much fun Chaeyoungie!" He claimed, never losing that smile on his face.

Chaeyoung felt relieved that he would accept. Before she could grab his hand and escort him out of the cafe, she suddenly saw a new body come into her vision. She looked up and tried shaking off her drunkness, to reveal Changmin, standing beside Baekhyun.

"So, Ms. Byun has informed me that as designated driver, I should be taking Baekie here home now." He said, eyes not leaving Chaeyoung. She could feel pressure just by his gaze. She then nodded, again feeling defeated.

"Okay, that's fine," she said unconvincingly. "Just make sure he makes it to his home safe?"

"You have nothing to worry about, Chaeyoung," He said, Baekhyun now leaning into his side, feeling comfort in the body warmth. "Ms. Byun said she would drive you home, I would talk to her if I were you." Chaeyoung, again, found herself confused.

"Shouldn't she take her own son home, then?" Changmin's eyes darkened at the sudden question.

"She needs to stay back and work on filing something for the cafe, said she didn't want to hold Baekhyun back from going home to sleep."

Before Chaeyoung could put in a response, Changmin lifted one of Baekhyun's arms over his shoulder and started to walk him out. Chaeyoung felt so defeated, a feeling she had been experiencing all night. She didn't know what came of it, but she knew one thing.

Changmin was.. weird. A mystery, more than anything.

And if there was one similarity Chaeyoung shared with Baekhyun, it was that they did not like mysteries.

 

 

As soon as Baekhyun felt the heat turn on in the car, he felt in heaven once again.

_Where's Chaeyoung? Wasn't I going to go home with her?_

The drunk boy peered to the driver side and saw handsome Changmin. If he were sober, he would tense up. However being drunk, Baekhyun felt bold.

"So, you knew of the surprise party too huh?" Baekhyun asked, alcohol pushing him to be social. He saw Changmin flash a toothy grin.

"I'm the one who co-planned it. Your mother can take most credit, though."

"Ahh, you're such a charmer," Baekhyun commented, suddenly finding his finger trailing down the driver's bicep. Realizing what he was doing, he suddenly retracted his hand. Changmin pretended not to notice, but he surely did. "My mom and Chaeyoung were right about you, you and your charm."

Changmin expression changed to one of surprise.

"Chaeyoung huh?" He asked, tone staying neutral as he continued to focus on the road. "So you've talked to her about me?"

Suddenly realizing that what he said was true, Baekhyun hid his head in his hands, clearly embarrassed. The problem that Baekhyun had, like always, was that he over-shared information.

"Well.. well yeah! Of course I'd tell my friend slash coworker about my new coworker," He started to say, looking at his unclenched hands. His brows furrowed. "Hey, why'd we stop moving-"

Before he could say another word, he felt a touch just below his chin. Changmin's finger felt hot against the skin of his chin, and Baekhyun let out a struggled breath as he felt it lift up. He didn't know why, but he avoided eye contact with the older male.

"Look at me," Changmin softly commanded, disliking the choice he'd made. Baekhyun's gaze traveled to him obediently. Before he could ask the male what he was doing, he felt a warm sensation breach his lips.

Baekhyun voiced a surprised gasp as he felt his lips come into contact with another set of lips. Instinctively, he placed his hands on the taller male's chest, but didn't have enough strength in him to push away. They continued to kiss for a few more seconds before Changmin retreated.

Changmin's eyes are blown wide, his expression mirroring Baekhyun’s.

Loverboy Baekhyun should be celebrating, he’s finally gotten what he’s wanted. One look at Changmin though, squashes all the happiness that he wants to feel. Changmin’s not gazing back at him like he’s relieved, he looks like he regrets it. Baekhyun doesn't know how to feel when he sees this.

Baekhyun looked out the window, wanting to know where they had stopped, hoping they didn't stop in the middle of a road, or worse traffic. He let out a sigh of relief as he discovered that they were actually in front of his apartment complex.

"You can go," he heard Changmin say quietly. Baekhyun, still confused, only nodded. He reached for the door handle and left quickly.

The drinks numbed his feelings.

 

 

 

Baekhyun was fast asleep in his bed when it happened.

A moment that would cause Baekhyun to lose all grip on reality.

The tragedy involving Ms. Byun.

The death of his mother.

 

 

He woke to loud ringing. He groaned, looking at the clock on his nightstand that read 10:45 AM. He read the caller ID and it identified Heechul. Why would he be getting a call this early in the morning? From Heechul too, of all people? What he did not expect, however, was to hear an entirely different voice. One he's never recognized from Heechul before.

"Baekhyun.."

Baekhyun widened his eyes in confusion, the voice is very forceful, yet somber. He was too hungover to fully understand what was going on.

"Yes, Heechul? Is everything okay?"

There was a little moment of silence on the other line before Heechul spoke up once again.

"It's your mother, she's.. she collapsed at the cafe. I'm coming to get you, okay? Stay put." The line went dead, leaving Baekhyun with his own panicked thoughts.

Heechul fulfilled his promise and retrieved Baekhyun from his home. He couldn't stop shaking. He kept asking Heechul questions, but Heechul couldn't respond accurately to any of them, he quietly told the son to wait while they drive to the hospital nearby, where his mother was being assessed.

They arrived as quickly as they could, ignoring the fact that they sped through the freeway.

Heechul tiredly breathed out the situation to a staff member, and they were lead to a waiting room, and did exactly what the name indicated - they waited.

Heechul called Sooyoung to let her know what happened, and Baekhyun called Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung immediately let her friend know she would be on the way. After being informed on the hospital and which wing they were in, she hung up, claiming she'd be there as soon as she could. He looked back at Heechul, who told the younger male that Sooyoung was on her way as well. Nodding his head, Baekhyun sunk into a nearby chair, mind distracted on nothing but his mother, and her condition.

"How did you find her?" Baekhyun voiced out, delivery cracking in the process. Representation of his heart, maybe.

"She..- well I went into the cafe to pick up the belongings I left in the kitchen, and I saw her lying on the floor, a hand clutching her heart. I.. it didn't look like she had any external wounds, and I checked the cash register and everything, it wasn't a robbery. The paramedics told me that it was likely something to do with the heart."

With the heart.

With the heart?

His mother had a great heart.

He had Heechul call Changmin shortly afterwards, wanting him to be there too.

 

 

They all met up in the waiting room, Baekhyun sitting beside Chaeyoung, head in her lap. She soothed him to the best of her ability, although anyone could understand how shocking and painful it would be to hear that a loved one had wound up in the hospital. Changmin, deathly worried for Ms. Byun and her son, sat across from all of them, gaze shifting all over the blinding white room. Sooyoung sat on the other side of Baekhyun, hoping that her presence would be enough to calm him slightly.

Heechul had been at the front desk the rest of the time, pestering the lady, wanting to know more about Ms. Byun. Everyone else was too drained to retrieve him.

 

 

It felt like forever, but a man in a white coat arrived.

The doctors say she died of over-stressed heart failure.

And that's when Baekhyun burst into tears.

 

* * *

 

 

**december 1st, 2016 - fifteen months later. present time.**

 

Baekhyun sat in bed. Even sleeping in the same bed for over a year, he still wasn't used to the sheets, the mattress, or the scent of it. It wasn't his.

He heard the shower running in the bathroom, door wide open. It lulled and echoed out into the living room like background static. Slowly lifting his head, he looked at the walls that surrounded him. Gray. Overwhelmingly dull. As soon as he tossed the blanket to the side of him, he felt the harsh cold hit him. He grits his teeth as he forced himself to stand, feet coming into contact with the stone cold floor in the process. He walked over to the bathroom, sighing as he looked at himself in the mirror.

He looked a mess, as usual.

It amazed him how one event could just fuck him over. His character, the one he was so used to being, was now gone. He found it hard to be the bright teenager he used to be. Even when he's 19, he still cannot truly understand how he could change so much. However, to be fair, the death of his mother wasn't the only event he had to suffer through.

Park Sooyoung moved away with her mother the month after Ms. Byun had passed.

Park Chaeyoung was given an opportunity to study abroad, and she took it, with much hesitance mind you.

Coincidentally, she got a new phone a few days before she had to leave to Europe last year. She didn't fail in giving her best friend her new number, making sure he knew that he could call her if there was anything he wanted to talk about. They embraced one last time, for what felt like an eternity, and Chaeyoung left the apartment.

Walking out Baekhyun and Changmin's apartment, Chaeyoung couldn't handle seeing the tears continue to flow down Baekhyun's cheeks, knowing that she was part of the reason for his sobbing. She was essentially leaving him to fight his demons on his own. It broke Chaeyoung's heart to see her best friend in such a large amount of pain. Truthfully, she was haunted, seeing his face of distraught every day. Part of her was relieved, knowing that she couldn't do much of anything to ease his pain and that she won't share the same stress and sadness that Baekhyun had been going through.

She knew she was terrible at giving advice. The last time she gave Baekhyun advice, she enforced the idea that Changmin would be a good partner for him.

Speaking of Changmin, he was quick to delete and block Chaeyoung's new number from his boyfriend's phone.

Chaeyoung and Changmin never got along that well since day one.

Maybe it was because Chaeyoung could see a similarity in Changmin, a resemblance to her own father. She never had the best home life, with a father that was too possessive of his wife. Her mother couldn't do anything without being scrutinized by her husband. Questions regarding where she had been every day, how long it took her, why it took too long, who certain contacts were in her phone.. it was all very tiring. As soon as the abuse got physical, her mother grabbed Chaeyoung by the hand, and they left.

Chaeyoung prayed that it wouldn't be the same case with Baekhyun and his boyfriend.

It hadn't fully occurred to Chaeyoung how lonely her best friend would be in Seoul. Baekhyun didn't have a lot of friends, unlike social butterfly Chae. Within just a year, all of his coworkers had moved away, with the exception of Heechul, who had to find work at a grocery store near where the cafe used to be.

The cafe went downhill ever since August of last year. Without Ms. Byun being in control of everything business related, it was hard for the cafe crew to find a new owner to take everything under their wing and support them. They had to shut down last year due to lack of leadership, and lack of sales.

However, amidst all the dark, came some light.

He got accepted to the university he had lived close to. He knew his mother would be proud. Overshadowing this though, was the idea of Baekhyun having a partner.

He found love, finally. It was Changmin. Or at least, he found what he thought love was.

Truth be told, it's easy to manipulate the feelings of someone who's never experienced love before.

 


	2. pasta date?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baekhyun meets with Chanyeol, a hiring manager at a local restaurant.

Baekhyun knew he had to get a job, as soon as he possibly could.

Since being forced to sign a lease with the sole purpose of releasing the cafe from it's suffering from minimum sales and activity, he hasn't had much of a desire to work. Much of what happened last year was a blur to Baekhyun. He had some general consensus on the things that happened, but couldn't remember the purpose of them. Shortly after the cafe went out of business, Changmin took it upon himself to take Baekhyun under his wing. Knowing Baekhyun didn't have any close relatives that were willing to take him in, Changmin made the younger male lie.

He wanted Baekhyun to tell the court that he knew Changmin well, much like a brother, so that they could live together. So that Changmin could be the "guardian". Baekhyun had little time to think about it, with Changmin practically chanting in his ear how hard it would be for Baekhyun to live on his own, emphasizing that he was unemployed. A comment that was sputtered with complete venom.

Feeling pressured, Baekhyun signed the forms.

He has never felt more trapped since.

On one hand, he was grateful. The young male told himself that Changmin loved him so much to the point where he wanted to live with him. Loved him so much to the point where he would be provided for. A roof to sleep under, food to eat, a living space.

It made Baekhyun's heart flutter, knowing that he was wanted so much.

Baekhyun's eyes roamed over the bright screen in front of him as he used his thumb to scroll further down. Baekhyun had been spending the last hour or two examining the different part-time job positions compatible with his own schedule. He had classes in the morning through early afternoon, so he would need to look for a job during evening shifts. Scrolling some more, he'd been interrupted, seeing a new message notification pop up on the side of his screen. He felt his heart race, as he diligently tapped the bubble, wanting to see who the sender was.

 

 **_From: <3_ **  
**_Sent: 8:15PM_ **

_going out with some work friends._

_keep working on the job search, ok?_

 

Baekhyun felt his heart return back to it's normal-paced beating, awfully slow compared to the average human. He shamed himself for thinking so foolishly, having the idea that it could have been his friend Chaeyoung. Ever since she left for Europe, he had not received a single text. It pained him, not knowing how she was doing, and how he couldn't express himself to anybody that wasn't his own boyfriend. He didn't have any ill will towards her for this, though. He knows it must be a busy life for her, and doesn't want her to drop everything to tend to him.

He would have been the first one to text her if he knew what her number was. Baekhyun could have sworn that he and his friend exchanged numbers before she left that night. It was as if it disappeared from his phone. He expressed this concern to his boyfriend, who knew all too well about the situation at hand. Changmin assured him that if Chaeyoung really was a friend, she would be the first to text him. Baekhyun agreed with that logic and momentarily stopped stressing about not having her contact info.

Weeks went on by, however, and he started to get sadder.

"Some friend, huh?" The taller male would comment snarkily, seeing his boyfriend sulk with his eyes glued to his messenger app, not seeing a single text from her. "Maybe you should forget about her."

"Italy must be keeping her busy, I suppose," Baekhyun commented quietly, wanting to stay positive.

All he got in return was a harsh laugh from Changmin.

_A simple text wouldn't hurt, Chaeyoung..._

Baekhyun shook his head, ridding himself of his previous thoughts before tending to his text from his boyfriend.

 

 ** _From: Baekhyun_  **  
**_Sent: 8:17PM_ **

_don't worry, i am!_

_i hope you have fun, changmin.._

_love you._

 

He bit his lip as he sent the text, hoping that his boyfriend wouldn't get too wasted tonight. More often than not in certain times like this, Baekhyun would have to deal with the alcohol crash. When his boyfriend drank, he would act nice, during the time he was out. However, once the positivity has worn off from the liquor, Changmin becomes unpredictable. Unfortunately for Baekhyun, the time in which Changmin arrives home is when this effect seems to kick in full throttle. Baekhyun continued to be oblivious though, loving Changmin no different than he did the first day that they became official.

He went back to the job listings and continued to look through his options. There were a wide variety of positions to choose from, which overwhelmed Baekhyun only slightly. Suddenly, a post grabbed at his attention.

 

_Restaurant Team Member_

_posted by:_ **Park Chanyeol**

** _apply now_ **

 

 

After a few minutes of consideration, Baekhyun considered this listing to be in his best interest. His only real working experience has been in a cafe, so it'd make sense for him to transition into a similar job. Taking orders, serving food.. there wasn't anything foreign in that. He tapped on the apply button.

Filling in his details, making sure not to make any mistakes while doing so, he submitted his pre-made application. He wondered if he should be applying to more positions as a backup. Deciding against it, Baekhyun concluded that he would try out for jobs one by one, rather than overwhelming himself with different opportunities. However, the idea of working in a restaurant felt more in Baekhyun's comfort zone than any of the other listings. Baekhyun suddenly felt the desire to get the position. He hoped that the man who was hiring wasn't too harsh on requirements.

Baekhyun started to become nervous, picturing how the interview could go. Truthfully, he's never had the torture of going through an interview, as his mother was quick to hire him in her cafe. Due to this, he's never had interview experience. 

 _Let's not think so far.._ Baekhyun thought, considering the idea that the job poster Park Chanyeol might not call him back anyway. Chanyeol...

Baekhyun knew too many people with names starting with Cha..

Even then, it's not like he knew many people anyway.

 

 

It was nearing ten o'clock that same night when Baekhyun's phone rang. Baekhyun was in the middle of cooking himself some pasta when he heard it across the room. Automatically assuming it was Changmin calling to check up on him, he hurriedly rushed over to the table where his phone lied, not wanting his boyfriend to wait too long for an answer. He quickly pressed the green answering button and brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hey honey, I was just making pasta.. if you wanted to eat and watch a movie or something.." He greeted in his usual chirpy voice, continuing to hold the phone to his ear as he retreated back to the kitchen to tend to his pasta.

"I wouldn't mind a pasta date, but I was thinking of talking about your application first?" An entirely different voice teased. Baekhyun stopped in his tracks, nearly dropping the phone. He hadn't recognized this voice. It was deeper, much deeper than the one he was used to at home. It also had an underlying tone of amusement, something else he had not been used to at home. Blood suddenly started to rush to his cheeks at rapid speed as he came to a conclusion.

"Oh my god," he moaned in complete embarrassment, putting his face in his hand in shame. "I-I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

He was met with heartful laughter on the other line, which didn't make Baekhyun feel better, as he felt himself getting hotter.

"Yeah, I'm sure you don't plan romantic dates with phone strangers, huh," the man responded over the phone before voicing a husky chuckle. Baekhyun bit his lip before sitting at a nearby table.

"No, no, I can't imagine doing so," he said carefully, completely despising the idea of being unfaithful to Changmin.

Both strangers had a moment of awkward silence, neither of them having the willpower to talk first. It seemed like minutes had passed by before Baekhyun felt the need to break the ice.

"So about th-"

"Anyway, I-"

Another silent moment cloaked over both of them as they, again, waited for their counterpart to speak. Baekhyun rubbed the back of his neck, humming lowly, deciding whether or not to speak, wanting anything but to interrupt the person who could be handing him the job position.

"I think I'll speak.. if that's okay?" The man on the other line finally asked slowly. Baekhyun nodded, simply whispering a word of agreement.

"So, first thing's first, you're Byun Baekhyun, right?" After Baekhyun voiced another simply word of confirmation, the man on the other line continued.

"We're starting the interview process tomorrow, and the team and I decided that you should come get interviewed, we would love to see what you have to offer."

Mouth agape, Baekhyun nearly dropped his phone again. Hurriedly, he snatched it back up in his hands, and put it back to his ear, feeling overwhelmed with the words he was planning on saying.

"Wha- Oh, I- that's great!" He managed to speak out into the phone, feeling himself burn up once again. He was met with more laughter on the other line, and he fought the urge to bang his head on the table in front of him, theorizing that maybe it would fixate his brain and make him act less jittery. Something about the man on the other line, though, made him feel a little more comfortable.

"I'm glad you seem excited!" The man responded. "Well, I'll text you the address and the time of the interview. We appreciate you wanting to work for us."

"I appreciate you as well, for giving me a chance!" Baekhyun claimed excitedly. "Thank you.. Chanyeol was it?"

"That's correct," the man, who Baekhyun now knew as Chanyeol, responded. "Anyway, I need to take an order. I'll make sure to send everything within the next half hour or so. And just a little note: try not to feel too intimidated by our interview process. It's just a couple of questions, nothing too crazy."

Baekhyun nodded, as if Chanyeol could see him. Baekhyun opened his mouth to voice a response, but the sudden banging on the door made him shift priorities. He almost covered his ears, cringing at how loud the pounding was.

"Baekhyun, you okay over there?" Chanyeol asked carefully, voice laced with sudden concern.

Again, before Baekhyun could say anything, he heard the voice of his boyfriend ring through the room, despite him being on the other side of the door.

"Baekhyuuuuuun open the door!"

"Ah yes, I'm okay," Baekhyun whispered to Chanyeol through the phone. "Anyway thank you again, gotta go bye!"

He quickly hung up with Chanyeol, feeling slightly guilty in the process. He set his phone down and rushed over to the front door, unlocking it. Opening it revealed his boyfriend, who looked how he usually did when he went out to drink. One side of his shirt tucked in his pants, the buttons attached to the incorrect spots. Droopy eyes accompanied with a grin that Baekhyun was very used to. It almost made Baekhyun smile himself, but knowing that it was just the alcohol, Baekhyun never had the urge to feel the same happiness.

"Baekie," Changmin practically whined. "Missed your company."

Baekhyun's heart fluttered. Was he supposed to say thank you?

"Flattering," Baekhyun commented simply. "Anyway, hurry inside, you're letting the cold in."

Changmin gladly agreed, leaning into Baekhyun's smaller body for support. They managed to make it to the kitchen table nearby, where Baekhyun carefully sat him down. Quickly shutting the door, Baekhyun then headed to the refrigerator for a pitcher of water for his drunken boyfriend. Carefully reaching up the higher cupboard to grab a glass, he silently poured the liquid contents from the pitcher into it. He turned back to put the pitcher in the fridge. Grabbing the glass, now full of water, he turned, heading towards the exit of the kitchen. He didn't make it, however, and nearly jumped in his spot, seeing his boyfriend suddenly up and alert, blocking the exit. Not only this, but he had an object in his hand, which seemed to violently shake in his grasp. He held it up for Baekhyun to see.

A phone. Baekhyun's phone.

"Babe, who is this?" He asked with a growl. Baekhyun's eyes widened and his heart started to beat faster and faster with worry as he stepped forward to see the blaring message on his screen, as if it were taunting him.

 

 **_From: Unknown Sender_ **  
**_Sent: 10:09PM_ **

 

_i think it'd be a good idea to_

_save my number, don't you_

_think? (; see you tomorrow!_

_\- chanyeol_

 

_Oh no.._

"You want to explain this before I go ape shit?" The tall male snarled, still holding the phone up for Baekhyun to see. At this point, Baekhyun looked like a deer in headlights. Terrified.

"It's really not what it seems like," Baekhyun pleaded. "He's just an employer. It's good news, actually! I scored an interview-"

He was interrupted with a bitter laugh, and Baekhyun's hopeful face turned into one of despair.

"You really think I believe this?" Changmin asked, practically shouting at that point. Baekhyun found himself taking small steps backward, finding comfort in the kitchen corner in which he found himself too often cowering in.

"Why would I lie, honey?" Baekhyun said, nearly whimpering. "I know it looks bad out of context, I can even call him right now-"

"I'll have you do no such fucking thing." His boyfriend replied darkly, stepping closer to Baekhyun. "Just how naive do you think I am? You think this text looks like it came from an employer?"

Baekhyun gulped, as he nervously fidgeted with the sleeves of his sweater. He wasn't sure how to respond to questions such as these, he was never sure how. Changmin moved closer and closer to his partner until Baekhyun's back was against the wall, with Changmin looming over him, just inches away.

"I don't think you're naive at all," Baekhyun whispered. "But I am telling you the truth, it's just work related." To further prove his point, Baekhyun carefully took the phone out of the drunk male's hand, a task that was proven to be surprisingly easy, and he worked as quickly as possible to pull up the website in which he found the job listing.

"What are you doing now, huh? Flirting back with this 'Chanyeol' guy?" His boyfriend accused before attempting to snatch the phone back. Baekhyun quickly turned his back to him, almost at the web page with the restaurant listing.

"Please wait, I'm pulling up the job listing, okay?" Baekhyun pleaded quietly, fingers working as quickly as they could.

"Give me the fucking phone."

However, Baekhyun could only mumble a plead, wanting him to wait just a little longer. His body shook in fear as he impatiently tapped on the screen, hoping the action would make the app load faster.

Baekhyun suddenly felt fingers lace into the top of his head. At first, it felt soothing, like the taller male behind him was ruffling his hair passionately. However, that feeling was destroyed as Baekhyun then felt the hands in his hair pull back hard. He shrieked as his head was pulled back as well, chin up in the air. The taller male behind him forcefully took the phone from his grasp.

"Don't disobey me, Baekhyun." Changmin spat into Baekhyun's ear venomously. "I can destroy you."

Baekhyun suddenly felt himself surge forward, as the tall male behind him pushed his body forward towards the wall in front of him. Protectively, Baekhyun moved his arms up, not wanting to hit his face on it. He yelped as his arms, as thin as bone, came into hard contact with the hard wall. He turned around to see Changmin leave the kitchen, phone in hand. And so Baekhyun was left against the wall, one hand tending to the soreness of his scalp while the other felt limp on his side. He tried fighting back the inevitable tears, but they still came.

His heart felt shattered.

 

 

Baekhyun hugged his knees as he sat in the kitchen island, still unsure of what to do, where to go. He'd gone over the plan of talking to Changmin for the hundredth time, considering every possible outcome. He looked towards the clock that hung in the kitchen, seeing that it had been at least two hours since their dispute. His eyes had stung and were sore from all of the silent crying that took place moments before. With a final soothing rub to his head, he slowly got up from his position.

Slowly, his feet moved out of the kitchen and towards the room that they shared together. With moments of hesitation, he brought his hand down to the knob and twisted, tentatively poking his head inside to peek.

His eyes rested upon a lump on their shared bed, which was moving up and down in a rhythm. Baekhyun felt a little more at ease, knowing his boyfriend was finally resting. Not wanting to wake him, he slowly entered the room, making sure to close the door carefully. He slowly drifted towards the nightstand, where the lamp had been lighting the room brightly. His fingers were on their way from clicking the lamp off when his eyes settled on a white note right beside it. Grabbing it carefully, Baekhyun turned it over to see what the ink had said.

 

**i'm sorry**

 

The words were sloppily written, but Baekhyun knew why. Feeling tears threaten to spill again, he placed the note back in its original spot. He wasn't sure what to do. He looked back towards the closed bedroom door, contemplating on sleeping on the couch. He took a delicate step away from the bed, but was stopped by a sudden hand grabbing his own. It felt rough against his own. Heart starting to beat faster, he looked behind him to see his boyfriend, eyes droopy from sleepiness.

"Stay with me," the man said slowly, as if he were begging. "Please."

Baekhyun felt he had no choice but to nod. He maneuvered himself around to the other side of the bed and carefully got under the bundle of blankets. He faced the other side of the wall, not wanting to look at his boyfriend at that time. Too suddenly, he felt a muscular arm snake itself onto his waist, which then pulled his body closer to the warmth of the drunken body. It battled the coldness of the room that Baekhyun felt, but it didn't stop the gloominess of his heart.

"Stay with me forever..." the voice behind him drawled. "I need you."

Baekhyun's heart started to beat faster again.

He knows how good it is to feel needed. Head in the clouds, he managed to sleep soon afterward, feeling the comfort of their joined body heat consume his consciousness.

 

 

Waking up that morning, Baekhyun still felt the soreness of his head and the aching of his arms. He looked beside him, still seeing the form of his boyfriend, body still moving up and down like a wave. Feeling grateful, he sat up slowly. He braced for the cold as he removed himself from the string of blankets he had slept in, tossing them aside as he swung his legs over the bed. He dug through the drawers near the bed and contemplated what he would wear for the interview that was happening later that day.

Baekhyun felt a jolt of surprise, suddenly remembering the reason why his boyfriend had acted up last night.

He looked back at the nightstand that held the note and placed there was his phone. Immediately, Baekhyun picked it up before turning it on. He saw a new message notification from many hours ago, and he was quick to open it.

 

 ** _From: Unknown Sender_  **  
**_Sent: 12:01AM_ **

 

_sorry for taking too long, i know_

_i said i would send you the interview_

_details earlier, but_

_i got stuck on some paperwork. anyway,_

_your interview is at 1PM. dress decently!_

_:) - chanyeol_

 

With the interview time, Chanyeol also sent him the address of the business. Baekhyun looked back at his sleeping boyfriend one last time, silently thanking him for not ruining the opportunity. Baekhyun had a small feeling in the back of his mind that Changmin might have responded to Chanyeol with harsh obscenities when he took his phone last night, or maybe even blocked the number altogether. It made feel Baekhyun feel better that Changmin didn't do any of those things, it made the smaller male feel less controlled.

Phone in hand in a protective manner, Baekhyun went back to his drawer to pick out an outfit. He questioned what would be decent attire when going in for an interview. He  _was_ going to ask his boyfriend about it when he got home last night, but..

Baekhyun shook his head, further digging into the drawers' contents, not wanting to remember what had taken place just hours prior.

He felt himself get annoyed, seeing multitudes of his clothing that displayed anything but professionalism. All that he was used to were oversized sweaters and knitted tops. He couldn't help it. It was still winter time, so he considered his wardrobe appropriate, but he knew he had to switch it up sometime, especially for spring and summer to come. He was only used to these types of clothing, though. Within the year, he hadn't had much wanting to expand his own clothing taste.

During the times when it was hot, his boyfriend would criticize his knit sweaters during the times of heat, saying he was stupid for wearing something so warm during the summer.

Changmin would later say that he was only caring about Baekhyun's health, which made him feel better again.

He thought for a little longer and decided to grab a pair of his black skinny jeans before moving over to his boyfriend's closet. He rummaged through the different shirts and decided on the smallest one. A fancy pinstripe dress shirt, the color of baby blue. It was one that made his boyfriend look really good. It hugged his boyfriend's muscles very well, as it was not too restrictive but not at all loose. Baekhyun held it up against his own torso, feeling slightly satisfied that it hadn't been too long in length.

He entered the bathroom, grateful he had the opportunity to shower.

 

* * *

"Okay, thank you for coming in and we'll let you know if you get the job."

The man on the other side of the table scoffed, grinning in the process. The smug face looked so.. punchable to Park Chanyeol. He just sat back in his chair, still eyeing the interviewee in front of him.

"Of course I'll get the stupid job. A waiter.. how hard could that be?" Chanyeol raised a brow, surprised at the man's confidence.

"You sure have a lot of confidence for a 'stupid job'", he said simply, mocking the man's lack of manners. "Anyway, you can walk yourself out. We still have another interviewee coming in after you."'

With another scoff, the large set man got up from his chair and left the room. Chanyeol's eyes shifted to Yixing beside him, who was covering his mouth. Maybe he was just as surprised as Chanyeol had been, regarding the man's performance in the interview. It was after the door had closed that the assistant hiring manager, also Chanyeol's good friend, burst out laughing beside him.

"The manners on that guy, eh?" Yixing said, laughter still evident in his voice.

Park Chanyeol nodded in agreement, chuckling along with his coworker. He reached for his cup of water before reviewing the final interviewee. Printed on a paper, Chanyeol reviewed everything the mister Byun Baekhyun provided for him in the application.

"Byun Baekhyun..." Yixing murmured, peeking over Chanyeol's shoulder to eye the application. "What a cute name. Rolls off the tongue very nicely."

Chanyeol gave him a knowing look that essentially told him not to say or do anything crazy to scare off the potential employee. Yixing was a charming guy, but he knew little boundaries. He raised his hands in surrender, insinuating he wouldn't do anything too irrational. Although, Chanyeol missed the smirk that spread across his face afterward.

In the summary talked about Baekhyun's situation: being a university student, it would be hard for him to work during the day time. It was also mentioned that Baekhyun had done a lot of volunteer work during his high school years. Under the list of experience, there was only one bullet point.

 

 

_**Previously worked at Honeychip Cafe**_

 

 

"What do you think?" Chanyeol asked carefully, feeling slightly disappointed at the lack of experience. "One job could be enough experience for him right?" His coworker shrugged.

"Anything would be better than the dude we just interviewed, honestly." He replied, sitting in the chair beside Chanyeol. "Who else did we have before him? Just two others right?"

Chanyeol wrinkled his nose, thinking about the other two interviewees.

"I don't think they're fit for it," Chanyeol said simply. "Another guy showed disrespect as well, while the other interviewee, a girl.. sort've made me uncomfortable."

"Oh?" Yixing asked, leaning his chin on his palm and eyeing Chanyeol. "Do tell me more."

"Too touchy!" Chanyeol exclaimed, setting the paper in his hand down to make arm motions to further describe his experience. "She rubbed my arms and biceps like this, and acted flirtatiously and all.."

Yixing found himself laughing again.

Before any of them could continue conversing, a small but sure knock on the door interrupted them. Chanyeol looked towards the office door, loudly telling the person to come in.

The door opened to reveal Bae Joo-Hyun, one of the restaurant servers, who immediately stepped aside and made room for a new body to enter the scene. Both Chanyeol and Yixing's eyes shifted to the unfamiliar person that entered the room.

Weirdly, Chanyeol felt his heart beat a little faster at the sight of the man.. or maybe he should say _boy_. Seeing as the new person was only a teenager, Chanyeol wasn't sure what to call him. Chanyeol himself had just recently turned a young 22, so maybe it wasn't his place or age to be naming other people a teenager when he could act like one himself at times.

The boy looked nothing but pretty, Chanyeol observed. He took notice in the shine on the boy's face, seeing him somewhat glamorized. He definitely saw what he think caused the quickening of his heartbeat, the shy smile that made a way to the younger boy's face. It was one completely formed out of nervousness, Chanyeol could tell. He thought it looked adorable. Speaking of adorable, his height of 5' foot something made him look miniature compared to Chanyeol's own whopping height of 6'2.

"This is Byun Baekhyun, here for an interview." She said simply to the two males before whispering to the smaller male beside her. "Hope you get the position." She gave him a playful wink before retreating, shutting the door behind her. And so, the smaller male found himself in an awkward position, unsure on what to do. His gaze slowly shifted from the carpet beneath them towards the two males at the desk, who were wondering what the smaller male would do.

Baekhyun firstly gave a small wave, earning surprised yet amused looks from the two.

_As if he couldn't get even more adorable.._

"Uh, hello," he said shyly, fidgeting with his fingers as he stood in place. "I'm here for the interview."

"Oh yes, that's right," Yixing said smiling, interrupting Chanyeol of his thoughts. "Take a seat." He gestured to the chair that was sat right in front of the two interviewers, and they saw Baekhyun nod quickly before taking small but delicate steps forward. Chanyeol took this time to observe the boy's face some more, seeing that the boy was blushing red. His face seemed to look down more than up, an act of nervousness that Chanyeol was far used to. Being a hiring manager, it wasn't hard to notice these things.

With Baekhyun taking a seat across from them, Chanyeol moved his hand forward, just a few distances from Baekhyun's own.

"I'm Park Chanyeol, I believe you wanted to plan a pasta date with me, or something like that."

Baekhyun felt himself blush harder, and Chanyeol also felt a little heat come onto his back as well, imagining the face of Yixing beside him. Slowly but surely, Baekhyun took his hand, and they shook, Chanyeol still grinning at the boy. He felt immense heat from the hand he had just come into contact with, but surprisingly didn't feel any sweat, another thing that he was used to when interviewing people. However, he then saw Baekhyun bow his head, something that Chanyeol wasn't quite used to.

Yixing was next to get up and extend his hand.

"..Not sure what he meant by that, but nice to meet you. Zhang Yixing."

Baekhyun took the other man's hand as well, bowing his head respectfully again.

"Nice to meet you both," he said in that same quiet voice.

_What a soft voice._

"Okay, so," Chanyeol started, mind scrambled. He had words and questions planned beforehand, but he had now suddenly forgotten what they were. 

"So." He started again shakily, ignoring Yixing's confused stare from beside him. "What made you interested in working at this restaurant?" The straightforward question, although simple, made Baekhyun think.

"Well, honestly I need the money. Being a university student, I think I need to start working on providing for myself. Paying for food, transportation, school books and all, I think having a job would be a big help in that. Ideally, I would go to my classes during the day and work in this restaurant at night to make ends meet." Chanyeol smiled to himself. An honest answer. When he asked this question, people would stretch their words. Say that they love food, Chinese cuisine culture, and all the like. He wanted to tell them that they didn't  _have_ to like restaurant-related things to get the job. Just emphasize that you'll be reliable and responsible.

Baekhyun continued. "I put this in my application but I mentioned that I worked at a cafe previously, little over a year ago." He saw the boy's eyes shift into melancholy, as they stared at the desk that they were sharing. "I figured that working at a restaurant would be quite similar to what I did at the cafe."

Chanyeol nodded. "What experience did you gain from working at the cafe?"

Again, Baekhyun's face scrunched up, just a little. Chanyeol looked towards Yixing beside him, but Yixing hadn't noticed the mood shift. Chanyeol did, though.

"My job was pretty simple. I was kinda like a team member there as well. I mainly took orders and served food and beverages. However, sometimes I would stay behind after hours to clean, bake, and work the cash register. You see, my mother owned the cafe, so she wanted me to have experience with nearly everything."

The pair voiced a sound of acknowledgment.

"May I ask why you don't work there anymore?" Yixing asked. He heard the soft voice in front of them speak up again, eyes still clouded with.. something Chanyeol couldn't quite identify. He knew it wasn't a look of nervousness, it was something much deeper.

"My mother passed away, and with little control over the cafe, we had to shut down."

Time stopped around the room as they stared at the boy, feeling the sad energy that he had exempted.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Baekhyun." Chanyeol could only say. Baekhyun shook his head, plastering a small smile on his face.

"Please don't be," he said in that same soft-spoken voice. "I've grieved, and I'm hoping to make her even more proud now."

They both nodded.

Worried, Baekhyun asked if he overshared too much information. They both assured the younger one that it was no problem, and that he didn't have to worry.

Seeing Baekhyun visibly calmer, Chanyeol asked him if he had any questions regarding the job itself.

"I actually was just curious about this," Baekhyun pondered, Chanyeol leaning in a little closer out of curiosity. He also did it because the boy's voice was  _so damn soft,_ and it was hard to hear what he was saying. "Is the restaurant really busy at night? Since that's likely when I'll work, I just want to be sure on how busy it usually is."

Yixing spoke up about this one.

"We get a lot of people coming in during the evening, you're right about that," He responded. "Especially around the holidays, people come to eat here for their own celebrations."

Baekhyun only nodded at this, thanking him quietly.

"I have no other questions, then."

"Neither do I," Chanyeol said simply, turning to Yixing. "Do you have any?"

Yixing grinned. "Yeah I do, actually. Baekhyun, what moisturizer do you use?"

The question shocked both Chanyeol and Baekhyun, not only because it was off-topic, but because it was just weird.

"Uhh," Baekhyun sheepishly sounded, rubbing the back of his neck. "I use the Landér brand, I get it from the local market downtown."

"Your skin looks great, very clear and-" Yixing said quickly before receiving a hard punch on the shoulder from Chanyeol. "Hey!"

He narrowed his eyes at him one last time before softening his face when he turned to Baekhyun.

"Sorry, he's weird like that, anyway, let me walk you out?"

Baekhyun nodded, getting up. Yixing, still rubbing his shoulder with a pained look on his face, gave a small wave to the boy. Baekhyun waved back smiling a little before looking towards tall Chanyeol, having to look up to make eye contact. Up close, the boy below him was much smaller than he had initially thought.

"Follow me."

Chanyeol led Baekhyun out the front office door and out towards the entrance.

"Thank you for meeting with us," Chanyeol told him as they made their way to the sidewalk outside.

"I should be thanking you, again, for giving me the opportunity." The teen replied, looking up at Chanyeol. He grinned in response.

"You're more than welcome. And, just keep this between me and you but.." he leaned down towards the younger one's ear and whispered. "I think you landed the job."

He received a gasp, and a bright smile soon afterward.

"Wow, thank you so much!" Before Chanyeol could cherish the smile that he had caused, he made a surprising sound himself as he felt a little pressure on his abdomen. He looked down to see Baekhyun hugging him, rather tightly. His body felt warm against his own, and before Chanyeol could cherish the feeling, it was soon gone again as Baekhyun retreated. His red face didn't go unnoticed in the winter weather that they had been standing in.

"Again, you're welcome," Chanyeol said. He suddenly remembered something he wanted to bring up. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable with the pasta date thing, sometimes I joke." Baekhyun, still beaming, brushed him off with a simple hand wave.

"Oh don't worry, neither of you made me uncomfortable," he said before stopping his speech. "Well, maybe Yixing did, but only just a little bit!"

Chanyeol chuckled, liking the new image his future coworker had been displaying. Bubbly, bright and perky. Not only good for the restaurant's image, but it made the teenager a hundred times cuter.

"Before we depart," Chanyeol commented. "I wanted to talk to you about your voice."

Baekhyun tilted his head, a confused look on his face. "M-my voice?"

Chanyeol nodded, hoping the boy wouldn't take any offense.

"It's just so.." Chanyeol drew out, unsure on how to word his own thinking. "Soft. Working in a restaurant environment, I will need you to speak just a little louder during service. Do you think you can do that?"

The smaller boy nodded his head obediently, smile still not faltering.

"Thank you, Baekhyun," he said finally, offering his hand one last time. Baekhyun took it gracefully and they shook hands one more time.  _Still warm.._

They parted ways then, both of them waving to each other. It made Chanyeol's heart skip again, knowing he could make the boy smile. Smile genuinely.

He was bombarded with all types of questions and comments from Yixing when he returned to the office room.

"What the hell was your comment about a pasta date? Were you asking him out during the interview so he could be intimidated to say yes? You're weird-" He was met with another hit, though softer than the last one. Chanyeol narrowed his eyes at him again as laid on the couch, eyes looking up at the ceiling.

"It was just an inside joke, you wouldn't get it." He pointed at him in a playfully menacing way.

"An inside joke huh.." he commented, eyeing him suspiciously. "Do you know him personally?"

Chanyeol only shook his head.

_Maybe I can get to know him personally, though._

He smiled to himself as he imagined it. Thinking of the boy, he wanted to know more about him.

He loved a good mystery.

An adorable mystery, at that.

He was interrupted before his thoughts of the boy could carry him away.

"You know, that boy was so cute!" Yixing exclaimed, grinning. Before Yixing could comment anything else, he quickly moved out of the way to dodge an incoming couch cushion, courtesy of Chanyeol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u (^v^)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading the chapter, and I will say now that it takes me a while to update, with work and school.
> 
> I appreciate you readers! <3
> 
> please comment! it encourages me.


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